Thursday, January 20, 2011

Ceremonies

About the time I started writing that last entry, the order of events was decided - we would do a memorial service in the zendo after afternoon zazen, because it would be strange not to. There would be a taiya ceremony, which would normally be done with the body in the room, in the Buddha Hall after dinner; this had been drafted earlier in the day following previous examples done for deceased priests. Sewing class and the evening sitting would be canceled and people invited to come to the ceremony. In the morning we would do the transition ceremony as we had for Jerome and Darlene, which would give everyone another chance to be present and commemorate Lou. There will be sitting with the body at hospice until Sunday.
I didn't really sit the afternoon period, but came back upstairs to finish writing up the three ceremonies. At dinner, finding people to fill the positions, which was not difficult, then printing up the chant sheets and marking up the bells as I thought they would be, as the format of the taiya was not completely standard.
Sojun Roshi had come over from Berkeley earlier to help with body; he was the doshi. The Buddha Hall was full, many senior people coming, even those who had been sick in bed. Sojun read a passage from 'The Record of Transmitting the Light' and spoke to Lou, telling him his spirit filled the whole building now, just as Suzuki Roshi's had when he had died. We bowed and made an offering of tea and sweet water; we chanted the Ten Names of Buddha, the Heart Sutra and the Dai Hi Shin Dharani. The script did not get exactly followed, but it was very moving.
Shosan was the kokyo, and this was part of the first dedication: